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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

visual order in the midst of chaos

Grown women shouldn't wear monkey suits. Okay, so she wasn't in a full monkey suit, but she was wearing a sock monkey hat - the kind that I see at the street fairs. And she looked ridiculous.

There have been times I've also tried a little too hard to be "quirky." For example, my freshman year in college I practically lived in a wool jumper worn with a newsboy cap and combat boots. It was the early nineties, I was listening to grunge, drinking a lot of coffee and living in Washington state at the time. But still.

Since then I have still managed to get caught up in the occasional trend: big flowers, scarves, peasant blouses, boyfriend cut jeans. And some of those trends have become a mainstay - even when the trend turned sour. Over-sized flowers and scarves are still my favorite accessories. But in my "old age" I'm learning that it's important to simplify.

And in that effort, I'm constantly streamlining my closet; black, gray, white and brown. Dresses, slacks, dark jeans, blazers, sweaters, and t-shirts. Pumps, ballet slippers and knee high boots. Scarves, chunky necklaces, brooches, and hats. Feminine. Graceful. I just want to look pulled together and by default feel pulled together. Even in the midst of working, parenting, loving, swimming, raising, walking, serving, writing, cleaning, and all the other "ings" of my life. Visual order in the midst of chaos.